Vishnu as Varaha

The boar-headed deity Varaha is one of the prominent avatars, or incarnations, of the Hindu god Vishnu. In all his avatars, Vishnu, the Protector of the Hindu trinity, reestablishes cosmic harmony after the balance of the universe is disturbed. In the Varaha story, a demon tries to drown the earth goddess, Prithvi, under the sea. She is uplifted and saved by Varaha. This sculpture shows the triumphantly ascendant boar god with Prithvi on his shoulder.